Propulsion and stabilization of watercraft and the like



Oct. 1, 1946. 2,408,412

PROPULSION AND STAB ILIZATION OF WATERCRAFT AND THE LIKE H. M. DOBBINS Fil ed Feb. 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

1908/4 CE fiaflfiaz 0055/ AJZMM A rag/vi? Oct. 1, 1946. v H. M. DOBBINS 2,408,412

PROPULSION AND STABILIZATION 0F WATERCRAFT AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1944 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFIE- 5 v INVENTORQ A a/m c5 MURRHZ 0055/44;

I A. BY

A rrok/ws'r Patented Oct. 1, 1946 PROPULSION. AND STABILIZATIQN, or 1 WATERCRAFT ANDTHE'iLIKE" Horace-M. Dobbins, Pasadena, Calif.: v Application February-16,

The, invention relat'esto rotary. aerial foils, for propulsion.,and stabilization, of water craft, ice boatsv andithe. like craft, the use of which has become of importance within. a-recent period, and aims to effect,- improvements in the mounting and controls of the rotors in such installations.

It is an important object of'the invention to provide'a novel mounting and operative machine by which. the rotor may] be turned to feathering position without disturbing; the operative connections; so that a minimum cross sectional area will be" presentedin a. horizontal direction, this beingan equivalent! of" the reefing of sails. It is also an aimto enable the positioning of thefoils i'nja' vertical position-or in any intermediate position between the vertical and horizontal, as'may bedeemed advisable and practicable forthe condition of wind and its direction in relation to the charted course of the vessel.

It isanimportant' object also to. enable the invention-isto' minimize the amount of gear and a avoid the multiplicity of operative pieces required to control and adjust the apparatus, as well as minimize the labor efiort required in the operation of the equipment, as well as to reduce hazards incident to operation of such devices and to enable the complete control of the apparatus from within a pilot house in a simple and economical as well as rugged and durable construction. Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be more readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in sec tion of the forward portion of a vessel equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the mast and rotor mounting, brake and shifter.

Figure 3 is a view at right angles to Figure 2, partly in section.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4! of Figure 2.

There is illustrated in Figure 1 a portion of the hull of a vessel It], conventionally illustrated, the vessel having a deck I! and pilot house l2, of any usual construction.

- Upon the deck there is erected a structural work mast [3, of suitable materials conventionally stayed, as at M. A main vertical shaft I5 is revolubly mounted in this mast, upon suitable.-

bearingsat top. and bottom, this shaft being 110-, tat'ed through. the .agency of, an endless chain I16 engagediupon a suitable sprocket at'thel'ower end'oi theishaftgand carriediaround. a corresponding: sprocket of a ci'ounter shaft; H in the" pilot house 'I'2', this shaft havinglconyentional drivetconne'ctions' from the control wheel l8, rev.- olub'le upon; the." horizontal axis adjacent the binnacle. 91111 2; position corresponding to. that of the, tiller wheel in conventional rudder control. for ships. v I ."I'he. shaft, I 52 extends through a suitable cap bearing Z'U'at'the top of the. mast l3, and'carries uponits upper endla. shaft yoke 21 which is set revolubly uponthe cap bearingf20. Pivot-ed be tvveen. the upstanding. ears 22 of the yoke 21," there is a rocking. block 23., its portions extended substantially beyond the. yoke and formi'ng ,a iunction for therear. andforward arms 24 and 25 of a. bell. crank lever device; these arms being setat" an;.an'g;lej of. 90- degrees to eachother, the first, namged' 'arm having a normal initial position extending, approximately vertical at the rear side of thejmast}. at the same time that the arm 25"extends'forward-horizontally as shown in solid lines in Figure 1. The block 23 carries revolubly a stud shaft 21, vertical in the initial or neutral position of the parts shown in Figure 1, and having a brake drum 28 fixed thereon immediately over the block 23, while above the brake drum a hub 28 is mounted revolubly, upon the shaft and secured conventionally. The hub is provided with oppositely extending aerofoils 30, which may conform to approved practicesin the shaping and pro-portioning of such foils for the purposes indicated.

In accordance with one manner of operation, the hub 29 with its aerofoils 30 is free to rotate, but may be retarded by means of a band brake device 31 operative upon the'drum 28. The brake device includes a bell crank lever 32 pivoted upon the rocking block 23 ith conventional operative connections to the hand brake as at 32a, and including a long arm 32-'-b extended outwardly and horizontally when in released position. this being the position shown in solid lines in-Figure 1. This direction of the'long arm of the lever 32 is approximately normal to the direction of the arm 24.

The extremity of the large bell crank lever arm 24 is connected by means of a cable 32', a takeup drum 33 mounted conveniently in the wheel house, this cable being extended from the extremity of the arm 24 inwardly toward the mast 1'3 and amend a pulley 34 on the mast, so that when the cable 32 is drawn into the wheel house, the arm 24 is pulled downwardly toward the mast. The extremity of the arm 25 of the bell crank is likewise connected by means of a cable 35 through pulley 36 on the mast l3 to a take-up drum 3! in the wheel house, adjacent the drum 33, so that when the cable 35 is drawn into the wheel house, the arm 25 is drawn downwardly. Means is provided, not illustrated. for securing the drums 33 and 31 in adjusted positions.

For operation of the brake, a cable 38 is extended from the long arm of the bell crank 32 through a pulley 39 at the extremity of the arm I 24 of the main bell crank, and thence into the wheel house to a drum 40.

In the use of my invention as thus disclosed, in case it is desired to give the axis of rotation of the foils an inclination forwardly in a vertical plane coincident with the keel axis of the-ship, it is sufilcient to take up the cable 35 on the drum 31, while the cable 32 is let out from drum 33, bringing the main bell crank with the rotor assembly to the position dotted in Figure 1. The slack in the brake cable 38 will be immaterial, if no brake application is required, but may be taken up at the drum 40 as required. In case it.

is desired to tilt the rotor to a difierent direction, the wheel I8 is manipulated to rotate the shaft I5, the cables being let out from the drum in the wheel house as may b required to fit this movement, as will be understood. Obviously, the degree of rotation will be limited to an extent so that the cables 32' and 35 will not become fouled in the mast [3. At any position in the rotation of the shaft 15, further inclination of the rotor in the direction before mentioned may be effected by futher take-up of the cable 35 and paying out of the cables 32' and 38. Likewise, intermediate positions may be effected or the rotor returned to its initial vertical axis of rotation, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1, by take-up on the cables 32' and 38, and paying out the cable 35 at any position in rotation of the shaft l5. If inclination of the rotor to any quarter or to any point in the compass is desired, this may be efiected by rotating the shaft l5 through the agency of the wheel [8, as may be readily understood.

With the parts in the positions shown in solid lines in Figure 1, rotation of the rotor will have a gyroscopic effect, tending to steady the craft, without propulsive effect in any direction. A graduation of propulsive efiect may thus be obtained in my invention with the rotor axis inclined in any direction, by varying the degree ,of; this inclination. At the same. time dirctionalpropulsive resultants may be developed as required by the rotation of the yok 2| in conjunction with the control of the degree of tilt of the tiltable support 23.

While I have disclosed my invention with particularity, it will nevertheless be understood that c this is purely exemplary, and represents the best form of the invention at this time known to me, and that various changes in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substitution of materials and substitution of equivalents, mechanical and otherwise, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, except, as more particularly set forth hereinafter in the appended claim, wherein I claim:

A craft of the character described comprising a hull, an upright mast carried by the hull, a rotatable shaft supported by the mast, a forked yoke mounted on the shaft, the arms thereof being extended upwardly, a hub support pivoted between the arms of the yoke and having a stud shaft thereon having a neutral vertical position at a medial position of the pivotal movement of the hub support, an aerofoil having a hub revoluble on the. stud shaft, meansto rotate the rotatable shaft and associated'yokeat will, consisting of a remote manual control, said hub support comprising arms disposed at an angle of 90 degrees to each other, remotely operable means associated with respective arms to tilt said hub support from said medial position to variable anglesat will, and a brake means on the stud shaft remotely operable at will. I

HORACE M. DOBBINS. 

